My Evil Mother

A Short Story

By: Margaret Atwood

Narrated by: Hillary Huber

Length: 57 mins

Publisher's summary

A #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestseller.

A bittersweet short story about mothers, daughters, and the witches’ brew of love—and control—that binds them, by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Testaments.

Life is hard enough for a teenage girl in 1950s suburbia without having a mother who may—or may not—be a witch. A single mother at that. Sure, she fits in with her starched dresses, string of pearls, and floral aprons. Then there are the hushed and mystical consultations with neighborhood women in distress. The unsavory, mysterious plants in the flower beds. The divined warning to steer clear of a boyfriend whose fate is certainly doomed. But as the daughter of this bewitching homemaker comes of age and her mother’s claims become more and more outlandish, she begins to question everything she once took for granted.

©2022 O.W. Toad Ltd. (P)2022 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Narrator Hillary Huber is enchanting in the role of a daughter who is spilling her mother's dark secrets.… Huber's vulnerable confessional tone for the daughter contrasts nicely with the ringing cultured voice of her mother. Huber deftly handles the sardonic humor and emotional depth of Atwood's writing.… Both Huber and Atwood are at the top of their form with a bewitching fable that will take up residence in the listener's mind.”—AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award Winner

“There’s a perfect balance of silliness and poignancy in My Evil Mother, which is really a story about the fantasies we never give up about our mothers…What loving mother wouldn’t cast a spell of protection around her children if she could?”—Ron Charles, Washington Post

The opposite of mean is doormat

This was very mundane for a novella about a maybe-witch mom. It’s a slight twist on the age-old tale of all teenagers thinking their parents are strange or mean, but who understand them better over time.
The end goes off the rails a bit in order to make a point, and is overloaded with unnecessary F bombs.

Grea!!

Loved loved loved this. Trans-generational challenges with witchery and very honest approaches to life challenges through that lens. Wonderful.

Love the narration

The story is great and the reader barely changes tone. It made me laugh. I enjoyed this book.

good short story

I enjoyed the story but the narration was a little slow and when when sped up sounded off.

Ok for most

As long as you are ok with the ever so often explitive then I'll say this is a good short story that comes full circle. It wasn't what I expected, it was a free crdit for this book and I'll say it was "good" to hear another person's perspective on growing up. Although short I'll say it's short but just as applicable. If you have your doubts then when did you realize you became your parents? Hope you undersrand, sometimes just listen to a story..

Fabulous dark humor, fun narration

A fantastic story which draws you in and immediately asks for another listen. Fabulous craft. Excellent narration. I just love it when Atwood leans into her humorous side. If you like this, you may also enjoy The Heart Goes Last.

Loved it!

Made me think of my mother, and I smile, thank you mom! for passing me on the power!

cute

cute story, relatable relationship between mothers and daughters. I enjoyed it. worth the quick listen

Great listen for walking.

This short story was just what I needed to help me get my evening walk done with pleasure. It's well crafted and interesting. I adored all the quirkiness and mystery. The audio performance is perfect.

loved it!

A quick read, just what I need to speed up my day. I hope to find more like this